These Things Happen for a Reason
by writernumber97
Summary: A story about Jack and Erica.  Basically, it's what I would like to happen for Season 2. Spoilers through the Season Finale  Red Sky .
1. Taking a Stand

A/N: So this is my first fic, please go easy on me. :) I would love to hear constructive feedback, positive or negative. This is set right after the sermon Jack gives, calling people to action, but before Anna initiates the Red Sky.

Quickly walking the familiar dusty halls in the old but beautiful church, Jack is contemplating the mix of emotions swirling through his head at the moment. Excitement because he held fast to his convictions, against possible persecution, to preach the truth in the pulpit, and that there were some ready to hear and accept it. Disappointment in the fact that so few were ready to hear and receive that truth. Relief that his friends have completed their respective missions safely. Curiosity as to where Ryan was.

He wanted nothing more than to shower and change clothes, and get back to his friends to find out what had happened on the ship. Gathering some clean clothing, he prepares to make his way to the shower when he hears a knock on his door. _I bet I know who this "visitor" is. _Although he had know Father Travis for years, he also knew that Ryan had been here for years undercover. With Father Travis' unwavering support for the Vs, Jack was beginning to wonder if his support had less to do with the church's position on the Vs, and more to do with the possibility that he might be a V.

Opening the door, Jack is met with an icy glaze from his friend and mentor for many years, Father Travis. "I need to speak with you." the elderly priest hisses while glaring at the younger. Taken aback, Jack is momentarily speechless. In all his years with the priest, he had never seen him so aggressive, so seemingly full of hate. He quickly recovered to find his voice though.

"I'm sorry, I have somewhere I need to be. Can we do this later?" Jack retorted in a patient but firm voice, maintaining solid eye contact. The older man narrowed his eyes, obviously suspicious of the excuse and request to delay the meeting.

"All right. Tomorrow morning I would like you to stop by my office at 8:30 am. We have some things we need to discuss." And with that, he turned sharply and marched back towards his quarters.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jack closed the door and made his way back to the shower. Quickly cleaning up and changing clothes, he hurried to find his friends that had been waiting around outside the church.

"Hey," he hears a familiar female voice, and immediately a smile springs to his lips. He turns and sees Erica and Hobbes over by a lamp post. She is still wearing that blue shirt, that shirt that matches the blue in her eyes, those eyes that he could get lost in if he let himself. His heart skips a beat.

"Hi," he breathes out, almost as a sigh of relief. "Thank you both for coming to my sermon." he says as he's looking at Hobbes, and giving him a firm pat on the shoulder. Turning to Erica, he gives her hand a little squeeze, "It means so much to me for you to be there."

"Well don't make too much of it, Padre." Hobbes jokes. "You haven't convinced me to give up my life of indulgences just yet. You're going to have to work a little harder than that." He says this with a little twinkle in his eye.

Barking out a laugh, Jack shoots back, "I can tell I have my work cut out for me." Turning back to Erica, he notices a slight blush on her perfectly angled cheeks, but it quickly retreats. "Have either of you eaten? I'm starving. I would love to get caught up on what happened with your missions while we eat."

"Actually, I have eaten already, and I'm beat. I'll catch up with you both tomorrow. Bye." Hobbes turned and walked off briskly. _ Well that was abrupt. I wonder what that was about._

Jack turned back to Erica, locking eyes with her. "What about you?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, that would be good. We were supposed to eat with Anna and Lisa, but there was an interruption, so I only had a few bites." she said while starting to walk to their favorite diner.

Once seated, they tell the waitress they don't need menus and order their favorites. She wants a Cobb Salad hold the ham, and an iced tea...wait, no make that a coffee. He'll have the grilled chicken and a baked potato with sour cream and chives, with a water.

As the waitress retreats, he gently takes her hands in his. "I'm so glad you are safe. I was worried about you all evening. How did the mission go?"

Squeezing his hands and then letting go, she runs a hand through her hair, brushing it back from her face. She tells him about them taking her purse, and about Lisa helping her out, and destroying the eggs. Then her face drops and she tells him about Joshua, speaking quietly and with great sadness.

Again taking her hand, he squeezes it and lifts her chin up so she must look at him in the eye. "Hey, it's not your fault. If Anna's as bad as we think, you probably saved him a whole world of pain and torture. You also saved all of our lives, as the information she would have got from him would have led her straight to us. And you got Lisa to help us, so that's good. I know it's hard to accept loss, but it sounds like he was willing to give his life for our cause."

Eyes watering, she squeezes his hand back. "I know Jack. I guess I just feel like there should have been something I could have done to save him. But the reality of the situation was that it had probably already gone past that point. Sorry for getting all girly on you. I'm not usually like this." she smiles and rolls her eyes at herself.

"It's okay, I kind of like your girly side," he jokes and winks, "you're more than welcome to show it to me at any time." Then he realizes what he just said and his face turns bright red. "I... uh... well you know what I meant."

She laughs and wipes her eyes and takes a drink from her coffee. "Thanks Jack, I needed that. It's so easy to talk to you, to trust you. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you in my life."

Suddenly, their food is there, and Jack breathes a sigh of relief. "I feel the same way Erica."

Once finished, they slowly walk back to Erica's car. "Jack, what was that other priest saying to you after your sermon tonight? He looked pretty angry."

"Oh, that's Father Travis. He does not want me to preach against the Vs. He read that sermon earlier today and told me not to preach it. I knew in my heart that I had to though, that it was the right thing to do." Jack looked her in the eye. "I've finally accepted that this is a war, and that I need to stand up for what is right, or I'm no better than the people who remained silent during the time of Hitler. I'm committed to our cause Erica. To you and the Fifth Column." With that, he pulled her into a tight hug. "I want to help out in whatever ways I can, and to support you and help keep you safe."

Erica pulled back to make eye contact with Jack. She smiled warmly and said quietly, almost a whisper, "Thank you Jack. We definitely need you on our side. I need you." With that she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and released him. Getting into her car, she rolled down the window and smiled. "We're going to meet at Hobbes tomorrow after work. We need to figure out our next step. I need to find Ryan and see how Val and the baby are. I'll see you there?"

"Of course," he smiled back. "I need talk to Chad Decker, I saw him listening to my sermon tonight. Maybe he has finally 'seen the light', so to speak. Don't worry, I'm done giving out information for him to pass on to Anna. Goodnight, Erica."

"Goodnight, Jack." And with that, she drove off into the night.

What a day, Jack thought laying in his bed. He felt a sense of accomplishment that so many of their objectives for the day had been met, but he couldn't help but notice there was a little sinking feeling that something was wrong. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Jack quickly got ready and had a bowl of oatmeal before his meeting with Father Travis. _I probably don't want to do this on an empty stomach,_ remembering the look on the priests face from the prior evening. _Well, here goes nothing..._ He knocks on Father Travis' door, and comes face to face with his elder.

"Jack, I'm glad to see you show up. I have a few guests here." Father Travis led him into the living quarters, where two figures Jack immediately recognized were sitting with cups of coffee and staring at him with stony expressions. _Uh oh, this cannot be good..._

TBC...


	2. Moving Forward

A/N: Okay, so I need to tell you, I'm not Catholic, and I have no idea about the hierarchy of the Catholic church, as well as any process of discipline for priests. I did look a little online, but did not find much that was very helpful to me. So my story probably doesn't really represent the way something like this might happen in real life, but luckily this is fan fiction. I'm hoping that no one is offended by my imagining of events, because this is definitely not my intention. I'm not really just in love with this chapter, to be honest. It was a little difficult to write, but it was one of those that I just had to push through. I hope to pick up the pacing of the story soon, as it's a little slow for my tastes. I'm trying to write a little more of the thinking right now, so you can kind of get a feel for my perceptions of the characters and their motivations. Also, I tried to make this chapter longer, as the first one, once it posted, looked so small to me. Thank you for the amazing input, and even that you're reading it. I'm not sure what the difference is between Hits and Visitors, but I've had 79 visitors! That's a lot. Also, I don't know how to go about getting a beta tester, or is that automatic? I think someone has to review the story before it is posted, but I'm not sure. So I'm trying to read and correct any mistakes myself. Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Walking into the room he's been in a thousand times before, it felt different, like a death march. Immediately his stomach clenched, his mouth went dry, and the muscles in his shoulders and back tensed. "It's wonderful to see you Bishop Johnson, and Archbishop Daniels. It's been quite a while. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" The men stood and Jack smiled and shook their hands, hoping that his voice did not betray the violent turmoil going on under the surface.

"Good to see you Father Landry." the Bishop bellowed, his booming voice echoing off of the walls. A round, jovial man, Jack had always enjoyed his company, as he was quite the storyteller and could make Jack laugh easily. "I wish it were under better circumstances that we were meeting this morning," he began, removing the smile and replacing it with a grim look of sorrow. "Father Travis phoned me last night and we spoke about the sermon you gave yesterday. While I personally understand your hesitancy and reluctance to wholeheartedly embrace the visitors without question, the church has declared a stance on this issue, and you as a priest must not contradict the teachings of the church. The visitors have done many good things, healing people and showing us their technology for environmentally safe energy sources. They do not deserve to have such things said about them as you said in your sermon. You must stop preaching this heresy."

"While I respect your opinion Bishop, I do disagree," Jack started. "The visitors have turned our people away from God. They are replacing God in the minds of our flock. God is not receiving the praise and glory for the good deeds, but the visitors are. Don't you see how dangerous this is?" Jack narrowed his eyes at his superiors, trying to gauge their reaction to his impassioned plea.

_Great, this isn't going over any better than the sermon._

Only Bishop Johnson looked a little reflective, as if he was giving considerate thought to the words of Father Jack. Archbishop Daniels, who had remained quiet this entire time, interrupted the silence. "Jack, I'm sorry, but the church has taken a stand, and it is not your job to question or belittle it. Normally, we would have already started the process to involuntarily laicize you, but because of your years of faithful service and Father Travis' defense of your character, we are giving you another chance. But you must adhere to church teaching on this issue. It is your choice. We will give you one week to make your decision. In the meantime, you are not allowed to act in any official capacity for the church. Father Travis, you will be performing all priestly duties for the next week. Jack, I appreciate your dedication to our Lord, but you are wrong about the visitors. I know you will make the right decision. Thank you Travis for the coffee. We must be going now." The men all stood, shook hands, and said their goodbyes. "We'll see you in a week, Jack." Bishop Johnson retained a small smile and squeezed Jack's hand firmly as they departed.

Jack stood there, ready to continue the conversation with Father Travis. The elder man took a deep breath and sighed, turning to Jack. "There isn't much more to say, I know I won't convince you with words, and you won't convince me either. You are just going to have to pray over this issue, and search your heart, knowing full well the consequences. I just hope you choose well."

Jack looked at Father Travis, noticing the heaviness in his stance, the weariness in his voice, and replied, "Don't worry, I will." He turned and strode purposefully to the door, exiting and closing it with calmness and confidence. Once he was in the hall, he leaned against the wall and his legs turned to jelly. Trying to process all that had gone on in there, his mind was moving at a million miles per hour. _What will I do? How can this be happening to me? I've never been fired from any job before. I've always been the good guy, doing what is right. Only now, they think that what is right is wrong._ Starting to feel dizzy, he hurried back to his own apartment, collapsing on the couch as soon as he made it through the door. He saw one of his Bibles on the coffee table, picking it up to read. It is a source of great comfort in times such as this. He opened the thick book, and his eyes rested on this passage:

_The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)_

Jack let go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Yes, he could do this. He could stand firm, in the face of persecution, knowing that if he did not, that others might be led astray. Yes, even if it cost him his job, even if it cost him his life, he knew this was the right thing to do.

His phone suddenly rang, shaking him from his reverie. Recognizing the number, he grinned and answered immediately. "Hello?"

"Jack, I'm glad I caught you. I've been trying to track Ryan down this morning, and I can't get in touch with him. I'm really getting worried about him and Val. Anna has invited me onto the ship this afternoon, as some kind of thank you for yesterday. Do you want to come with me? I could really use some support. Tyler is going to be in school, and I'm glad. The less time he spends up there, the better." _Her voice sounds a little rushed and shaky. _Jack was quick to respond.

"Erica, I would love to accompany you. What time do I need to be over there?"

"Just let me come get you. We're supposed to be there at 2:00. I'll come by at 1:30, okay?"

Jack chuckled at her need to be in control. He wondered if she had been that way with her husband. "Sure, sounds good. I'll meet you out front at 1:30. Bye." He hung up the phone and tossed it on the table. _What to do now?_

He had no time to contemplate that question before his phone rang again. "Hello?"

"Father Jack, hi this is Chad Decker. I was wondering if you might want to meet me this morning, I think we have some things to discuss."

"Sure, I can meet you this morning. How about the coffee shop on 7th and Lincoln? In about 20 minutes?"

"Sounds good Father. See you soon."

Jack quickly changed out of his clothes, putting on a plaid shirt and jeans. He looked over at his priest garments with longing. _I guess I won't be needing these for a while. _He put on a jacket and hurried out the door.

Once outside, Jack glances up to see red clouds swirling around. _What the...?_ People are stopped and staring up, almost entranced. Jack hurries along the sidewalk to his destination.

Jack got to the coffee shop first, ordering a coffee and muffin and securing a table in the corner where it would be a little quieter. Taking a sip of coffee, he looks up to see Chad walking through the door. He makes eye contact, smiles, and waits while Chad orders and pays. Sitting down, Chad flashes a tentative smile. "Father Jack, it's good to see you. A lot has changed since our meeting yesterday. I have seen and heard things that now make me question the visitors and their intentions for us. I would like to apologize for deceiving you previously. Anna kind of tricked me into spying and feeding her information. I am not ready to join the 5th Column at this point, but I am looking at the visitors with a new perspective. I guess I have been a little naive in my dealings with Anna. I apologize for any problems I may have caused."

Jack was taken aback at Chad's admission. "What made you realize that? Did something happen when you delivered the message?"

"Let's just say I saw things I wasn't supposed to see. I don't think I will be signing up for the Live Aboard program anytime soon. I plan on finding out as much as I can to make an informed decision as to which side I will end up on." Chad stopped talking to take a drink of coffee.

"What do you think is going on with the sky? Did you find out anything about that?" Jack inquires.

"I did not see or hear anything about that, but I'm going to get to the bottom of it." Chad replies. Sighing, he continues, "At this point though, Anna holds all of the cards, so it may take me a while to find out, but I will find out."

"Chad, I hope you can find what you need to know. Be very careful. The visitors do not like to be crossed, especially Anna. She won't hesitate to harm those whom she suspects are not trustworthy. Please keep in contact." Jack looked him in the eyes to see the emotions flashing across the reporter's face: fear, uncertainty, doubt, but also determination.

"Believe me, no one knows that more than I do." Chad said with a bitter laugh. "I need to get back to work now. Thanks for meeting me, I will keep in touch." With that, he gave a tentative smile and quickly left the shop.

* * *

Jack finished up and hurried back to his apartment. It was already 1:00 and he needed to change clothes and get ready. He decided to dress a little nicer for their meeting, since he had not seen any visitors (outside of Ryan) in casual clothing. He didn't want to draw extra attention to himself. After brushing his teeth, it took him 20 minutes to pick out some charcoal colored trousers and an olive green shirt. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.

Opening it up, his breath hitched as he took a look at the stunning leggy blonde in front of him. "Erica, you look beautiful," he sputtered. "Please come in."

Responding with a warm smile that made her eyes crinkle, she felt a blush rising up her face, "Thanks, Jack. You look quite nice yourself." Walking in hesitantly, she took in her surroundings. It was a modest place, at least from what she could see. The living room was sparsely furnished, with a couch, an arm chair, a coffee table (with a few issues of Sports Illustrated scattered on it), an end table with some pictures, and a bookcase filled to the brim. I guess he doesn't get to entertain company too often, she mused to herself. She turned to look at him and found him staring at her, in a way that a priest probably shouldn't be looking at a woman. Her heart raced and she felt a little tingly. "Jack?" she breathed out. "Are you okay?"

Jack's face turned pink, and he looked away, going over to the kitchen to get a glass of water. "Yes, sorry, I'm fine. It's just, it's been a wild day." Sometimes he really had a hard time being around Erica. Especially when she wore a certain shade of blue, or when she had on a button down shirt (she always started with the third button), or when she was boxing in that little grey tank top, or... _okay, I need to stop thoughts like these right now_. "Would you like something to drink? I was a little parched." _PARCHED, why did I have to go and say something as pretentious as that?_

Erica chuckled a bit, "No, thank you, my thirst is quenched right now." She threw him a smirk to let him know she was teasing.

Jack blew out a laugh, and took a big drink. "You sure you want me there with you? I don't exactly seem to be on my 'A game' today."

Erica grinned and replied, "Lucky for both of us I am." She then winked flirtatiously. Then a more serious look crossed her face. "Of course I want you there Jack. You are a calming presence in my life. You make me feel like I'm a better person when you're around me." She walked over and took his hand, gently squeezing. "I don't just want you there, I _need_ you there."

He searched her eyes, finding only truth in what she said. He smiled his biggest smile, his deep, long, slightly curving dimples on full display. "Then nothing will stop me from being there. You mean so much to me. I guess that's one thing I can thank the visitors for, they led me to you."

They stood there staring in each others eyes for another few seconds, neither wanting to break eye contact. Both were filled with desire but neither was brave enough to act on it. A dog barking in the distance broke the spell, and they both jumped a little.

"So what's the plan on the meeting today? And what's going on with the sky?" Jack got back on task, trying to remain focused on the mission.

Erica went and took a drink out of Jack's glass, suddenly finding her thirst. "I have no idea what the sky is about. I can't wait to hear Anna's explanation for it though. And I'm not really sure what Anna has planned for our meeting, but I hope to speak with Lisa for a few minutes, and find out if there are any other 5th Column members on board, what she knows and is willing to divulge, etc. I'm just not sure it will be possible with Anna and Marcus there."

"Maybe I can come up with a distraction," Jack offers. I could try to keep Anna and Marcus busy with questions while you get a moment to talk with Lisa.

Erica smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Jack. But I think we're just going to have to play it by ear, see if there are any opportunities that present themselves." She just wasn't sure the priest would be able to pull off anything preplanned. He was just so innocent, so honest, so GOOD... And she really didn't want to ask him to do anything that would involve lying. She could handle that, sometimes her job called for it. Of course, she didn't like it, but she could do it. Jack shouldn't have to, not for this. "And if it doesn't happen today, don't worry. With her dating Tyler, there will be plenty of opportunities for me to speak to her without Anna around."

Jack sighs, wishing he were better at sneaking and pretending and all these things he needs to do to help the 5th Column. "Okay, I guess you're right. Is it about time to go?"

"We have to be on the loading dock for the shuttle in about 10 minutes. Are you ready to go see an alien spacecraft up close and personal? It really is quite a sight." Erica smiles, grabbing her keys off of the counter.

"After you," Jack grins back, making a grand gesture.

They drive in comfortable silence to the loading docks, both lost in their own thoughts. Jack is reviewing the events of the day in his mind, cringing as he remembers the ultimatum he was given by his superiors. As he feels his heart rate quicken, he realizes he cannot dwell on that right now. Glancing out the window, his thoughts turn to the Red Sky, wondering the purpose and consequence of the swirling red clouds the shuttle is breaking through. Erica is sitting still, almost frozen as she thinks of Tyler, and his obsession with the visitors, and how can she help him see the truth? There is no point in telling him what she knows right now, he wouldn't believe it, or even if he did believe her he wouldn't care because his feelings for Lisa are so strong. No, she definitely needed to work on their relationship and build up the trust before enlightening him on the things she knew. The only problem was, in the meantime he could be in danger. Now that Joshua was no longer around, could she trust Lisa to keep him safe. She thought so, she hoped so, but there was a little doubt in there. Arriving at the docks, she turned off the car and faced Jack.

"Jack, please let me do most of the talking. I don't want you lying for me about anything if you don't have to. I'm used to this type of thing. Anna is very sneaky and sometimes is able to get information out of you that you don't even really realize you're divulging. I'm getting used to her style and her tricks, so I know I can handle her."

_A confident Erica is a sight to behold._ "You're the pro, Erica. I guess I'll just be 'man candy' today," Jack winks at her, squeezing back and gently removing his hand. "Let's go spend an afternoon with some aliens, " he grins, starting to feel his confidence come back.

Erica laughs at that and quickly gets out of the car. They make their way to the loading dock, and they are stopped by a burly, serious guard with a clipboard (it seems like the vistors always look so somber, Jack thinks). Erica gives the guard her name, and they are led on board the shuttle. The shuttle is almost empty, save a family with a mom and two young children, maybe only 2 and 4. Jack's heart breaks, and he remembers Chad's comments about the Live Aboard program. He looks at Erica and sees the same heartbreak in her eyes, looking at the family.

"Hi," Jack says softly to the 4 year old. "Are you going to go see the big spaceship too?"

"Yes, we are so excited. We got to watch Star Wars, and I want to see R2D2 up there!" she says enthusiastically. "But I don't want to meet Darth Vader, he's too scary."

"Ava, sweetie, remember, this isn't like Star Wars. You won't see any of them up there. You'll get to meet Anna though," her mom beams and looks at Jack and Erica. "She's obsessed with Star Wars. I can't get her to stop talking about it."

"I can't blame her, it's a good movie," Jack grins, blushing slightly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is a favorite character of mine."

Erica turns at that admission, with a huge smirk on her face. "I cannot picture you being a Star Wars fanboy. Not at all."

"What's not to like? A small group of resistance fighters, banding together to fight the evil empire, seemingly against all odds..." Jack trails off, the irony of his assessment not lost on him. "Anyway, it's a great story, and the good guys win in the end."

Erica contemplates this for a moment, "I guess you're right. Maybe I need to watch that again sometime." She leans over to Jack and whispers, "To see if we can pick up some tips or hints."

Jack leans back and whispers, "At least Anna is a lot easier on the eyes than Darth Vader."

Erica chokes back a giggle, glad that the shuttle has taken off.

Suddenly, Jack tenses up, gripping the armrests on his chair. "Ugh.." he mumbles, and his face goes pale.

"Jack?" Erica reaches over and softly touches his arm. "Are you okay?"

"I...uh...I...," Jack stammers, unable to form a coherent sentence. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and tries to relax. "This feels a little like a roller coaster," he starts. Glancing up into her eyes, he sees the concern. "I don't do so well on roller coasters."

Erica looks at Jack tenderly. "You are just full of surprises today. Okay, here, just take my hand. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and squeeze. Luckily, this trip only takes a couple of minutes."

Jack followed her instructions, and he started feeling better almost immediately. He concentrated on the feel of her hand, the soft skin and gentle touch. He could hear her breath, so calm and smooth, just like her. He also could smell her perfume, an intoxicating scent of lavender, with a hint of vanilla thrown in. Yes, he could stay like this for a long while. As he is thinking this, he feels her let go of his hand, and his eyes pop open.

"We're here," she says, with her serious face. Quickly returning to reality, Jack follows her off of the shuttle, down a long hall, where he sees Anna, Marcus, and Lisa waiting for them. Erica walks with confidence and poise, and at a pretty good pace. Jack tries to match her strides and demeanor.

"Erica, it's so good to see you again," Anna steps forward and takes Erica's hand, giving it a firm shake. I see you have brought a guest," Anna turns her focus to Jack, and he has to resist the urge to squirm under such an intense gaze.

"Yes, this is my friend Jack," Erica starts. "Jack, this is Anna, her daughter Lisa, and her advisor Marcus."

Jack smiles and shakes the hand of Marcus first, then Lisa. Next, he extends his hand to Anna. Taking his hand in hers, Anna responds, "Jack, welcome to our ship, our home. Any friend of Erica's is welcome here." It's the tiny smirk and the slight narrowing of the eyes that gives Jack chills...

* * *

TBC...


	3. Progress on the Ship

A/N: Thank you everyone who has read this, and especially those who have commented. If you have any suggestions or thoughts on ways to improve this, I am definitely willing to listen. I am going to sit down and write out all of the things I want to happen, and then map it out a little better so I can pick up the pace. I hope you are enjoying this, it's definitely an experiment for me. I hope to improve my writing skills as the chapters go on.

* * *

As they walk through the giant ship, Jack is speechless. It is so much bigger than it looks from the ground. Anna is giving them a tour, showing them the living (individual) and eating (communal) quarters. "These are our gardens, we use the greenhouse principle, as we grow our own fruits and vegetables. We also have 6 large pools on each ship, as our people love the water."

Jack shivered as he imagined all of these lizard people creeping around the water, remembering the small glance of lizard scales he saw on Erica's FBI partner's face the night they met. "Is something wrong?" Anna stopped walking and turned to look directly into his eyes.

"N-no, I just have a slight fear of water." Jack lied. "It all goes back to a fishing incident that happened when I was young, about 5 years old. I fell out of the boat, and my grandfather had to dive in to rescue me."

Eyebrows quirking up, Anna responded. "Oh, that must have been frightening. Our people have found that the water is calming, and a great way to exercise and stay in shape. Even though we have technology to heal a multitude of aliments, we work hard to stay healthy so we need as little healing as possible." She turned and continued the tour. Jack sighed in relief and looked over at Erica, who gave him a small nod.

They continued on the tour, viewing one of the libraries, the healing center on the ship, and various work areas. Jack noticed that Marcus and Anna were watching Erica like a hawk, it was going to be really difficult for her to get any time alone with Lisa. Suddenly, he had a idea.

They had stopped for a minute, Anna's attention was required by an officer. When they were ready to start up again, he held back and walked slowly, as Lisa came up to him. They walked in silence for a minute, both fearful of giving away too much, but these opportunities were few and far between, so Jack cleared his throat and spoke. "So Erica tells me that you are Tyler's girlfriend," he starts.

"Yes, Tyler is important to me." Lisa returned, giving away nothing. "How long have you known Ms. Evans?"

"We met probably around the same time you and Tyler met," he answered, hoping she could read between the lines and realize why they met. "It's amazing how quickly a relationship can grow when two people have so much in common."

Walking slowly, and falling away a little further from the group, Lisa studied his face for a second, leaning in and asking in barely a whisper. "Can I trust you?"

Looking at her face, he nodded with a solemn look. Erica had told him how Lisa had helped her on the ship last time. He also knew from Erica about Lisa and Tyler seemingly being intimate. She looked like a sweet girl, but she was Anna's daughter, and that fact in itself made her someone to be careful around. "Absolutely," he answered. "I am a priest, and I am bound by oath to remain strictly confidential in my dealings with others, when they need someone to talk to."

"Good," Lisa said with a small smile. She had a good feeling about this man. She had enough faith in Erica to be a good judge of character, and when she looked at his face, his honesty and goodness jumped out at her. Joshua had dealt with both of them, and she felt sure she would be able to continue their work.

They continued on until they came to a large gathering room, decorated with balloons and streamers, as well as an amazing array of fruits and exotic looking drinks he had never seen before.

Climbing up on the platform, Anna begins to speak and the crowd immediately falls silent. "Erica, this is a reception for you. We want to thank you for your help in apprehending the insurgent on our ship yesterday. Who knows what would have happened or how many would have been hurt had you not stopped him. We owe you our gratitude. To Erica!"

"To Erica," the crowd repeats, raising their glasses along with Anna.

Erica blushes and smiles a little, looking at Jack. He smiles, raises his cup towards her and takes a drink. "Anna, I was glad to be of service. I hope I can someday do it again if the situation arises," she continues. Jack smiles to himself as he knows what she is really saying.

Erica is now making her way over to him, through the crowd. Grabbing his hand, she takes him over to the table of foods. "So what have you been up to? I noticed you finding a friend," she teases.

"Yes, we have spoken a bit. I think she wants to tell me something, I'm hoping she will before we leave." Jack looks her in the eye. "She asked me if she could trust me."

Surprised, Erica opens her mouth to say something, but doesn't. "Hmm, maybe we can make this work for us. I can be the distraction, and you can be the go between."

"That's what I was thinking, as long as Anna doesn't get suspicious." Then Jack gets a little mischievous grin on his face. "Although I don't think we have anything to worry about right now, she seems fascinated by you. Marcus too. Though I can't say I blame them," Jack winks at her.

Erica laughs. "Well we'll see how long my charm lasts. I wouldn't expect much longer."

"It hasn't worn off for me yet, and it just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Pretty soon, they won't notice anything else going on around them. Hobbes would probably be able to walk around here in an outfit of Lady Gaga's and they wouldn't even notice."

At that, Erica nearly choked on her food. "Let's pray we don't ever need to test that theory out,"

she laughed.

Marcus made his way over to the pair. "Excuse me, would you mind if I borrow Ms. Evans for a few moments?"

"Go ahead, I'm glad to see her getting her accolades. I'll be right here until you're finished Erica."

"Father Landry," a gentle wisp of a voice floats through his ears. He turns around to see the young blonde filling up a plate of food.

"Please, call me Jack, or Father Jack," he interrupts. "That's what everyone else calls me."

"Okay, Father Jack," she continues. "If I were to give you something, could you make sure that Ms. Evans gets it? And let no one else know about it?" She asks this in a quiet voice while pretending to choose what to put on her plate.

"Of course," he studies her face, noticing a slight tension around the mouth and eyes. Yes, she definitely seems different most of the visitors. More like Ryan. More human.

"Please tell her I will come see her as soon as I am able, as soon as the situation permits. Then we will be able to speak more freely."

"I will tell her Lisa." Jack says softly. He reaches out to shake her hand. "It has been a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to speaking to you more in the future."

She shakes his hand, lingering for a second. "You too Father Jack." With a hint of a smile, she turns and walks away.

Jack stands there, wondering what is on the paper she slipped into his hand. Not wanting to look at it, he puts it in his pocket, and quickly scans the room for Erica. Catching her eyes, he gives her a look, a signal, that they have what they wanted. The grin she gives him causes him to return an even bigger one. The reflex is automatic, like when it's Christmas and you find the biggest gift under the tree has your name on it. He watches as she wraps up the conversation and slowly makes her way to him.

"Did you have a nice chat with Lisa?" she asks.

"Yes, she is a very nice girl. I enjoyed speaking to her. I'll tell you all about it when we get back. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, I just need to find Anna and Marcus to thank them..." Erica was saying as she heard a voice behind her.

"We're right here, and this was the least I could do when you have risked life and limb to protect myself and my people. We are indebted to you. I would like to give you one last thing to show my appreciation and trust in you..." she turns to Marcus, who is holding a tray with a small blue box wrapped with a silver ribbon. "Please take this with our sincerest gratitude. It is a pass that will get you onto any of our 29 ships any time you want to come visit. I know you are still worried about Tyler joining our Live Aboard Program, so hopefully this would help put your mind at ease that you can come see him at any time. Just show up at the loading dock, and show them this badge, and you will be allowed on the next shuttle." Anna smiles, giving that look of sympathy and sincerity that Erica knows all too well is fake.

"Thank you Anna, this is quite unexpected. I appreciate you wanting to help with Tyler's situation. I'm sure you understand my apprehension. He is quite young, and in my estimation not ready to be away from home on a permanent basis." Erica throws her own look of peace and calm back at Anna, with a little smirk on the side. _ Game on_.

"Well, Erica, I look forward to seeing much more of you in the future."

"You can count on it, Anna." Erica retorted, giving a firm handshake. "Nice to see you again Marcus. And thank you for allowing me to bring Jack. I think he enjoyed the experience."

"Yes, absolutely," Jack started. "Your ship is amazing. I hope to come visit again sometime."

"You are welcome back with Erica anytime, Mr. Landry. It has been a pleasure." With that, Anna turned and walked up the stairs and out the door.

"This way please, Ms. Evans and Mr. Landry," a security guard ushered them through a door and down a hall to the waiting shuttle. They took their seats and Erica gently took his hand. "Same as last time, just close your eyes, breathe deep and squeeze." She smiled warmly at him, and heat raced through his body, starting with his hand and spreading to his arm, his chest, and up his neck.

"I'll do my best," Jack said, eyes closed and just enjoying the feel of her hand, the skin to skin contact. The shuttle started the descent, and his breaths sped up a little. Erica turned and looked at him, and she began speaking in a calm, low voice. "You know, when I was little, my family took me to Disneyland. They wanted me to go onto Space Mountain, but I was afraid of the dark." At this, Jack chuckled a bit, "I can't imagine you afraid of anything. You mean you weren't always so tough?" Erica grinned, "No, not always. Anyways, one of my brothers started to make fun of me, and I was trying not to cry. My dad grabbed my hand and told the rest of the family, 'This ride is for Erica and me. You all go find something else to ride.' So I stood in line with him, heart pounding. It was finally time to get on. 'Go ahead, I'll be with you the whole time, holding your hand,' he said. So I took a big breath, and got on. He climbed in next to me, and took my hand. Once the roller coaster started going, I started feeling the breeze go by quickly. My breath caught in my throat, and I thought I was going to faint. I slammed my eyes closed, and I heard something. My dad was singing a song I hadn't heard since I was really little, when he would read me bedtime stories and then sing me to sleep. _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away._ I opened my eyes, and I could see a little bit. He kept singing, and I started relaxing and just listening to him and enjoying the experience. Before I knew it, the ride was over and I had a big smile on my face." She squeezed his hand, and he opened his eyes, and they were back on the ground.

His eyes grew a little misty. "Thank you, Erica. You have no idea what your friendship means to me."

"I think I do," she said, standing up. "I feel the same way Jack."

They walked off of the shuttle, hand in hand, to her waiting car. Once they get in, she starts the car. Suddenly, her phone rings. She looks at it and sighs, "Tyler, are you home from school already?" He can't hear what Tyler is saying but it sounds like some type of typical teenage hormone angst.

"Yes, I was," Erica sighs into the phone. "Ty, can we talk about this when I get home, in person?" she asks with a slight sharpness in her voice. "Yes, I promise, we'll talk then... Okay, so I'll see you in an hour?...Okay, love you, bye."

She takes a breath and turns to look at Jack. "Tyler knows we were on the ship. He thinks I was spying on them or trying to ruin his chances for Live Aboard..." she trails off, a giant lump in her throat. Jack, sensing her fragile psyche right now, grabs her hand. "Erica, you guys are going to work through this. I know it's hard right now, but he is going to mature. He will see all that you have done for him, all that you have sacrificed for him. I know you probably don't want to take parenting advice from a priest, but I know what I'm talking about. I've counseled many families, and the most important thing to remember is to be patient and calm. Let him know you understand how he is feeling and that you love him."

Looking into his eyes, she gave a teary smile before looking down. "Jack, I appreciate everything. I do value your advice, even parenting advice." She pulls him into a tight hug. Closing his eyes, he hugs her tenderly, his hand softly stroking her shoulder and upper back. "I'll always be here for you Erica. I hope you know that."

"I do, thank you," she released him from the hug, facing the window. "I guess we should go..." she started, but Jack interrupted. "Erica, wait, I forgot, Lisa handed me something to give to you. I guess you were a pretty good distraction." he teased.

She smiled shyly and took the note, opening and reading it:

_Ms. Evans,_

_Joshua is not dead. Marcus revived him. I haven't gotten to see him yet, but I heard Mother and Marcus talking about him. It sounds like they are putting him through some testing or reconditioning or something. I will speak to him as soon as possible. We have a person working in your office at the F.B.I. Her name is Agent Malik. She is very loyal to Mother, I thought you should know. I think we might be able to use Father Jack to communicate with each other because Mother wants me to get to know him and find out about devotion and faith, and how that works along with religion. We have visitors that are priests, but she wants me to find out from a human about those things. We also have Ryan and his baby. Mother had Valerie killed, and has been giving Ryan daily sessions of bliss, in order to turn him back to us. I will not let Mother harm Tyler, please believe me. I do care for him. I will contact you when I can._

_Lisa_

"Joshua is alive? Oh, thank God." Erica exclaimed. "I guess I didn't know how advanced their medical capabilities were."

"I've seen them heal one of the crippled men that stays around the church, but I haven't heard of them resurrecting the dead. These are miracles of Biblical proportions. It is going to be harder and harder to convince people of their true intents." Jack sighed. "I think Chad Decker could help out in this area if he can be convinced to join us."

"Damn, I hope Ryan can resist her bliss." Erica was concerned. "He's got to be in a vulnerable state right now, with everything that has happened. We need to get him off of that ship... "

"Erica, Ryan is strong, he won't give up on us, on humanity. He will continue to fight with everything in him, especially now that he is a father," Jack responded. "We'll figure out a way to help him."

"I knew there was something funny about Malik." Erica continued. "At least I can keep a good eye on her now that my suspicions are confirmed. I guess it's a good thing Anna is interested in devotion, we will definitely use this to our advantage. "

"I'll do whatever I can to help, you know I will." Jack reassured her. "It sounds like Lisa is wanting to help out too. Maybe we actually have a chance of defeating them."

"Of course we do, Jack. We just need to be smart about this. A lot smarter than we have been. Hopefully Lisa will be able to reveal Anna's plans so that we can thwart them." Erica takes a breath and lets out a sigh. "We have some hope, some possibilities. That's more than what we had when we started this. We definitely need more help though. Did you get names and contact information from the people left in the church at the end of your sermon?"

"I did, I stood at the back by the door and knew most of them already, and a few new ones that I got the contact information for. I've got it all back at the church."

"Good, I want you to contact them, and set up a meeting. We need to find out what resources they can provide. It would be great if we could get some more help in fighting this war." Erica was speaking with conviction and purpose. Jack could see the wheels turning in her mind. He would do anything in his power to help her with this, to fight off the visitors.

"I can do that. I'll get started as soon as I get back." Jack was already trying to figure out where they could meet.

"Then let's get going, we've got work to do." Erica puts the car in reverse, backs out of the parking place, and heads toward the church.

* * *

TBC... (I know I didn't get to the Red Sky this chapter, I plan on doing that next chapter. Just assume Erica and Anna talked about it when Jack was talking to Lisa by the food table).


End file.
